When protecting the systems in a society becomes more important than the people the systems are designed to protect, that society is in great peril.

Troy Davis languished on Georgia’s Death Row for four additional hours until the stay of execution he hoped and prayed for was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. At 11:08 pm EST Troy Davis was executed for the murder of Officer Mark MacPhail even though recent evidence indicated that he may not have committed the murder. Members of the Georgia Supreme Court, a Butts County Superior Court judge, the Georgia Pardons Board, prosecutors and others were more concerned with conviction rates and reputations than justice. They wanted “justice” at any cost but many in this country and around the world demonstrated because the price that was paid was too high. Read more…

And I am sorely reminded of this as the hours, the minutes, the seconds tick closer to 7 p.m., when Davis, found guilty in the murder of an off-duty Savannah, GA, police officer 22 years ago, will have his veins injected with a lethal cocktail of execution drugs as punishment for the death of Officer Mark MacPhail, despite evidence that strongly suggests Davis may not have killed him. Read more…